Smile Sweetheart
by ShadoeKat
Summary: Dirk Strider, a hobbyist photographer, is head over hills in love with his model turned boyfriend, Jake English. They've been dating for a few months and they're inseparable. When tragedy strikes, Dirk is the one cleaning up the mess and trying to calm Jake's racing mind.
1. Chapter 1

A cool breeze blew from the open window and surrounded two bodies, a black-haired male and his blond partner. The bedroom was set in a cabin-style home, surrounded by trees with a long, dirt path leading out to a driveway and finally the main road. It was early in the morning, 7 am. A blanket covered the two males, keeping in enough heat to keep them warm from the morning breeze.

A low groan resonated from the tan, black-haired man as he forced his eyes open, soon turning over and sitting up. His dark locks fell forward and framed his face beautifully, brilliant green eyes blinking in the morning sunlight. His muscular chest was fully visible as he sat up and the blanket draped over his legs. He blinked a couple more times and squinted as he felt something heavy rest cross his legs and lower abdomen, classifying it as the blond's arm shortly there after. "You're up early, sweetheart." A Southern accent cut through the silence as the blond's orange eyes began to open and look at the other. The green-eyed man smiled and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the blond's forehead. "Goodmorning, Dirk~"

A sigh escaped Dirk's lips as he sat up and draped his arms around Jake's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "Mornin' English." Nuzzling his cool nose against Jake's cheek earned Dirk a shiver from the male. Dirk pressed a light kiss to Jake's neck and his breath hitched in his throat. "Dirk- Not now... I'm not even ready for something like that..." Dirk nodding slightly and moved his head to look at Jake, a small smile forming on his face. "Don't do anything you don't want to, okay?" Jake smiled a little and nodded in return. "Come on, we need to get up~ I'll make breakfast if you want?" Jake had a thick British accent, something Dirk had loved since they met.

They made their way down to the kitchen, Jake soon pulling out a skillet. "Mm, what's for breakfast baby?" Jake smiled at Dirk and replied, "I was thinking eggs and bacon? Maybe some toast?" Dirk smiled back and nodded as he boosted himself up onto the counter. He let out a yawn and shook his head as the black-haired man pulled out a carton of eggs and a package of sausage. "Feel free to make some coffee, sleepyhead~" He laughed quietly and heated up the stove, opening the two things he had pulled from the fridge.

Dirk sat and fiddled with his camera as they ate, cleaning once he finished his plate. "Taking pictures today?" Jake looked up and smiled at him brightly. Dirk smiled back, his orange eyes gleaming with pleasure. Jake was beautiful. Normally that word would not be applied to a man but it was the only word that described Jake so perfectly. "Why, you excited or somethin'?" Truth be told, Dirk loved taking pictures of Jake. His body was perfect and the light always danced on his skin so beautifully. He had a blog that he uploaded his pictures to, though some were kept just between them, like the nude shots Dirk had gotten of Jake and the few they had taken together, except for Dirk's favorite of them kissing. "Mm, maybe. But modeling for you is always nice, honestly."

Dirk stood, setting his camera off to the side. "Come on, let's get dressed. You said there's a lake nearby right?" Jake nodded as he picked up the plates. "Mhm, you can only get to it from my house."

"Good, you'll want a towel." Dirk gave him a small wink as he stretched and headed upstairs. "Wear your flannel and bring a change of clothes. You won't need your swimmin' trunks." Jake had a bit of an idea what what Dirk had in mind and once the plates were in the dishwasher, he followed suit and headed up the stairs to their bedroom. Dirk pulled out a grey t-shirt and ripped jeans, soon sliding them on over his underwear. Jake rummaged through the dresser and found his favorite dark green plaid shirt and khaki shorts.

Once Jake had put on his clothes and grabbed a towel, the two of them headed outside, the camera strapped around Dirk's neck. Today was a beautiful day, the sun was bright and lit the world around them beautifully. Leading them down the path to the lake, Jake slipped his hand in Dirk's and gave him a smile. "It's really nice out today, don't you think?" Dirk smiled and nodded. He could just imagine how the sun would dance on Jake's bare chest under his plaid shirt and how stunning he would look in the water. The thought was already driving him crazy but he had to keep his cool.

The water of the lake looked inviting as they stepping closer to the bank, which was covered with rocks, some leading out to the shallow water, others making a nice spot for sitting. Dirk took in the view of the area and thought of how to pose Jake for a good picture. "Alright, English," He gave a wink."Take off your shoes and sit on the rocks, bring one knee to your chest and the let your other foot sit in the water." Holding up his camera, Dirk turned it on and waited for Jake to get into the pose, snapping a couple of pictures once he did. "Now... Hm... Take off your shirt?" Jake smiled and nodded, doing as he was told and stripping off his shirt, tossing it aside. "And now?"

"Your shorts are short enough, wade into the water a bit, hold your arms out and close your eyes." Dirk watched as the other did as he was told. "Mm... Turn around and tilt your head up a bit." Ah, perfect. He snapped a couple more pictures from a couple of different angles.

"Too soon to go nude?" A smirk grew on Dirk's face as he looked over Jake. He could definitely get some good photos here... Nude photos. He had ideas. Jake let out a laugh and shook his head. "What am I going to go with you, hm?"

"Weeeeell... You could get naked for me." Dirk winked and laughed as well, though was a bit surprised when Jake got out of the water and started to take off his shorts and underwear. Dirk bit his lip as he looked over Jake's body. He was much more muscular than his clothing let on. His arms and legs were toned and he had the faintest outline of a six pack. God how Dirk wanted to take that body for his own. Jake caught onto Dirk's long stare and red began to tint his cheeks as he looked away. "You do this everytime, Dirk."

"I know a beautiful sight when I see one, I wanna take in all the beauty but... You've got so much of it that I don't think it's possible." The blond grinned behind his pointy shades as Jake looked at him, his cheeks fully red now. "Really, Dirk? Really?... Really."

"Alright, alright, let's see here..." Dirk walked down the lake side a little ways, coming to a small pool of water, a large shallow area. "Here, this is perfect." Motioning for Jake to follow him, he took off his own shoes and stepping into the water a little ways. "Mind laying down here? On your side, hide your junk. Lay one arm out, slightly bent, above your head, your other hand under your head, laying on your arm."

"Hm, quite an order but alright." Jake made his way into the water and sat down, soon positioning himself the way Dirk had asked. A smile grew on Dirk's face as he held his camera up and began taking a few pictures. "Alright, mind letting me get one for myself?" He could see another blush come to Jake's cheeks as he nodded. "On your knees, right hand on your chest, left hand..." His own cheeks flushed as stepped closer to Jake, gently cupping his cheek. "Would you mind if I uh...?" Jake gave a small nod, believing Dirk could feel the heat rising from his cheeks. Dirk gave a small smile, cupping his face with both hands and pressing his lips to Jake's nose, giving him a light kiss. Slowly moving his hands down to Jake's shoulders and finally down his arms to his hands, he moved Jake's right hand to his lips in another small kiss to his knuckles before resting that hand lightly against Jake's chest. Giving his left hand a light squeeze, Dirk brought it low on Jake's body, looking up at him to make sure it was alright. Jake gave a faint smile to assure Dirk that it was alright. Dirk moved Jake's hand once again, gently cupping it around his length.

Dirk looked back at Jake as he let go of Jake's hands. God, he was right, Jake was... Mesmerizing. The pose suited him very well and Dirk had to resist the urge to kiss him right then and there... Or even do more than that. Jake looked away shyly as Dirk brought the camera up once again. "Smile, sweetheart." Dirk gave a small grin as he saw a soft smile form on Jake's face when he tilted his head toward the camera again. His glasses had been removed long before now so the image held nothing but Jake and wonders of the world around him. "Alright." Letting the camera hang limp around his neck again, Dirk began to strip off his own pants, noticing how wet the bottom of the legs had gotten. Tossing them on the bank, he took the camera off his neck, followed by his shirt and underwear. "Dirk, what are you doing?"

"Well, I can't go swimmin' in my clothes, can I?"

"I suppose you have a point." Jake smiled as he sat in the water, his hands moving to try and hide himself some. He was too adorable.

Lowering himself to his knees, Dirk sat in front of Jake and cupped his cheeks once again, this time pressing his lips to the others' in a light kiss, to which Jake pressed back, wrapping his arms around Dirk's torso. Pulling back and stroking Jake's cheek with his thumb, Dirk smiled and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Jake."

"I love you more~"

"I love you most."

"Impossible~ I love you to the moon and back."

"Well I love you even further than that." Dirk grinned as Jake laughed and rested his head against his shoulder.

Standing, Jake held out his hand to Dirk, helping him up. Back on the bank, the two of them dried off and put their clothes back on. "You know... I think I should treat you to dinner tomorrow night." Dirk looked at Jake, hope in his eyes that Jake would accept the offer. Putting his glasses back on, Jake looked at Dirk and smiled. "You're going to insist aren't you?"

"Of course."

"Well... I guess it's a date then. We haven't really been on a real date in a while, I think it'll be nice." Jake nodded as he spoke, starting to head back down the path to his house. "I'm thinking some place fancy, so be ready. I'll make reservations when when we get back." Dirk held his camera in one hand and his shades in the other as they headed back to Jake's house. "How does 8 sound? We'll have time to laze around the house."

"Perfect." Jake wrapped his arm around Dirk's as they made their way back to his house, a pleasant look on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Currently, it was three in the afternoon. Jake rested his head on Dirk's lap as the blond played with his black locks, a soft smile on each of their faces. They were happy and nothing could ruin that. "So, you ready for tonight? I have a really nice place booked so we need somethin' fancy~" Dirk grinned and kissed his boyfriend's forehead, a larger smile growing on Jake's face. "Of course~ I'm excited to see where you're taking me." Taking his free hand, Dirk laced it with one of Jake's.

"Jake, I um... I wanna talk to you about somethin'." Jake gained a worried expression as he began to sit up a bit. "Dirk? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. It's nothing bad I promise." Dirk smiled and pressed a kiss to Jake's lips. "Look, I know it's only been about, what, five months and you want to wait but... Uh, how do I say this?"

"It's about... Sex, isn't it?" Jake gave a faint, apologetic smile as he sat up and wrapped his arm around Dirk's neck, the blond giving a small nod. "I know, Dirk, I'm sorry... I guess I'm just... A little worried."

"It's alright, sweetheart. But I can tell you that you have no reason to worry, okay?... If it's gonna be me, I want it to be special. I'm gonna do it right because you're worth it and I love you." Wrapping his arms around Jake, he gave him a tight hug and smiled. "Thank you, Dirk. I guess I... Should be a little more open to the idea. I love you too~"

Dirk had everything planned. He was just hoping that Jake would go along with what he was sitting up. He had a feeling that tonight would be the night that he would finally make love to his beautiful boyfriend. It would be cheesy, yes, but he knew Jake would like it. Candles around the bed, a path of rose petals from the front door to the bedroom and then some on the bed. Ah, it would be perfect.

Seven o'clock came and the two began getting ready. Jake had a pair of black pants, complete with crease along with a white button up and green bow tie. Dirk had a full suit with an orange tie. They adjusted each others' clothing before going to the bathroom to fix their hair. For once, Dirk actually left his shades in their bedroom, aiming to not wear them this time. He also had something else planned tonight, at the restaurant.

"Well, you ready to go?" Dirk turned to Jake with a smile on his face. "Certainly, Mr. Strider." Jake gave a small laugh as he linked arms with Dirk. The blond led the other out to his white truck and helped him get in. "You stay here for a minute, I need to take piss." He closed the door to the truck and hurried back to the house. Making his way up to the bedroom, he pulled out a bag of fake rose petals and began to scatter them around the bed, then making a trail down to the front door. Going back to the room, he pulled out candles of varying sizes. They were 'rose and peony' scented, or so the jars said. Quickly tossing away the bag the pedals had come in, he went back out to the truck and got in, giving a wink to Jake as he fastened his seatbelt and started up the truck.

The restaurant was lovely. It wasn't too loud but it wasn't silent either and the way it was decorated would make anyone feel like royalty. As they were seated, Dirk felt his stomach flip, a faint smile forming on his face. He was ready to put his plan into action but he wanted to wait until dessert. "So, Jake, what do you think it would be like to be married?"

"Hm... Well, I don't think it would be too much different from how we currently live. You've been practically living with me for almost two months now... I really enjoy it actually." Jake smiled from behind his menu. He really did love it. It was nice to not have to live alone all the time. He knew that he would always wake up to Dirk laying beside him and when Dirk wasn't there, Jake always missed the warmth. It was a comfort. He wasn't sure how he could live without the Strider.

The waiter finally came around and took their order. Dirk got some kind of chicken, while Jake ordered a salmon dinner. They had about fifteen minutes to talk before their food was brought out. They covered many topics, from going into detail about what marriage would be like to things like what kind of poses they should try for their next shoot. When their food was brought out, they were also offered champagne to which both agreed. The waiter poured the sparkling liquid into two glasses and set the bottle at the end of the table.

Once Dirk had finished his meal, he blotted his mouth and sat the napkin back on his lap, reaching across the table and gently taking Jake's hand in his own. "You mean the world to me, Jake. I love you more than words can explain." A bright smile formed on his face, though he glanced around. "Dirk, people are going to start staring."

"Then let them because I have something to say." Standing up, Dirk sat his napkin beside his plate and went to stand beside Jake, taking his hand again. At this point, people from the surrounding tables were beginning to look at the two, some making odd faces. Dirk took a deep breath before speaking, his stomach doing flip after flip. "Jake English. I've known you for quite some time now. We share friends and interests and you've made my life a lot brighter since I met you. I was overwhelmed with joy when you agreed to be my boyfriend and a bit surprised too. You'd been my model for my photos for a while at the time. We've been through a lot together in our five months but you never left me and I never left you. We've been strong through thick and thin. I can't tell you how much you mean to me, Jake." Tears had began to well in Jake's eyes as he looked at Dirk, watching his every move. "That's why, if you'd agree." Dirk pressed a kiss to Jake's hand before pulling something out of his pocket and getting down on one knee. "I would like you to be my husband."

Jake's hand covered his mouth as tears began to slip down his cheeks. "Dirk, I-... Yes, yes, of course I'll marry you!" Jake wrapped his arms around Dirk's neck as the blond stood, tears starting to well in his own orange eyes. "He said yes!" He held up the box as he spoke, a wide smile on his face. Releasing Jake, Dirk took the ring from the box and gently slipped it on Jake's finger, pushing the box back into his jacket pocket. "God, I love you so much." His voice was thick with emotion as he spoke, pressing a quick kiss to Jake's lips. "I love you too, Dirk, I love you more than I could ever say." They continued on with dessert shortly there after, sharing a slice of chocolate cake.

Before they pulled into the driveway, Dirk glanced over to Jake as he spoke. "Wait a minute before you come in, okay? Dave needed to get something, just wanted to make sure he was gone first." Dave, Dirk's younger brother, had been helping Dirk plan this for a while now, though he was the only one to know about this. Dave had bought the candles for them, as well as the rose petals. He had stopped by their house to pick up money that Dirk had left for him, to pay him back for all his help. As Dirk parked the truck and turned it off, he hopped out of the car and quickly went into the house, looking around to make sure everything was in order. He headed upstairs and into the bedroom, taking off his suit jacket and hanging it up. He soon lit the candles and took a seat on the bed, waiting for Jake to follow the pedals.

It didn't take long for Jake to find Dirk sitting on the bed, a faint blushing tinting his cheeks. "Dirk, what is this?"

"I told you I wanted it to be special and god damn is it gonna be special." A smile formed on Dirk's face as he motioned for Jake to come closer. Jake agreed, moving closer to Dirk, only for him to wiggle his fingers in the top of Jake's pants and pull him ever closer. Getting the message, Jake straddled Dirk's lap and sat down, letting his arms rest on the blond's shoulders. "I've been trying to resist you for five months now. Do you know how hard that is with a body like yours?"

"Well, I must pride you on that, Strider, you've done good... I guess I should repay you." Jake gently nuzzled his face into Dirk's neck, unbuttoning the top buttons on his shirt and pressing a light kiss to his skin.

Feeling Jake's lips press against his skin, Dirk took in a sharp breath and tilted his head to the side a bit. God, he could not believe that this was finally happening. After all that time of waiting patiently and agonizingly holding himself back, this was finally it. The night he would fully make Jake his. Jake had began to kiss lower as his continued to take off Dirk's shirt. He kissed along his shoulder as he slowly pushed the jacket down, throwing it on the floor once it was off. Jake was mainly going with instinct as he did this, doing whatever felt right and so far all of this felt right. This was perfect and there was no way he was going to back out of this now. As Jake continued kissing at Dirk's skin, Dirk rolled his hips up against Jake's as a natural reaction with this current situation, causing Jake to let out a low moan and bite down gently on Dirk's shoulder. While doing this, Dirk began to remove Jake's shirt, quickly unbuttoning it with no hesitation before throwing it off to the side.

Dirk slowly trailed his hands down Jake's body and to the edge of his pants. "Is this alright?" Dirk asked, and then Jake gave a small nod. Dirk then began to work on removing them. Jake lifted his head and rested his forehead against Dirk's before firmly pressing his lips against his, kissing Dirk passionately. Dirk took in deep breaths through his nose in order to not have to break the kiss for air. The two were in complete bliss, enjoying each others' touch and taking in everything within this moment. After a while of just kissing each other, Dirk finally made a move to lay Jake down on the bed and situated everything so that he was straddling Jake's hips. He laced his fingers with Jake's before moving his arms up and pinning them above his head. They continued to kiss while Dirk rolled his hips down and against Jake's hips.

It was Dirk who finally broke the kiss and began to kiss along his neck, then chest, and finally down, along his stomach. Jake reached down and grabbed about a handful of his hair, leading his head down to urge him on. Dirk whined softly at his hair being grabbed as he slowly began to pull down Jake's pants, along with his underwear. Once his bottom half was exposed, he wrapped his hand around his length and flicked his tongue over the head, causing Jake to moan softly and then whine. "Oh come now, Strider. Why must you tease me?" Dirk simply laughed softly as he began to slowly take Jake's cock into his mouth, bobbing his head as he took more and more of him. Jake pulled on Dirk's hair, a moan working its way up his throat and then finally coming out as Jake panted heavily. Dirk let out a small noise and took a deep breath through his nose as Jake pulled on his hair. He took in more of him until he was near the base and he couldn't take anymore and pulled off before pushing down again and bobbing his head. Jake did the best he could not to thrust his hips up, and though it took a lot of self restraint he was somehow able to. It didn't take long before Jake was at his limit, though Dirk urged him on. Bobbing a couple more times, warm, thick liquid gushed into Dirk's mouth as he pulled away from Jake's lower half and swallowed, wiping at his mouth.

Resting his forearm against his forehead, Jake let out a few pants, trying to catch his breath. Nuzzling his nose against Jake's neck, Dirk pressed a light kiss before looking at him. "You alright?" A smug grin played at his lips as he spoke, to which Jake responded with a small and a nod, pure ecstasy written on his face. Sitting up, the blond leaned over to the nightstand and pulled out a small bottle of liquid. "I just… Wanna be sure before we do this. Are you completely okay with this, Jake?" Another nod and smile, "Of course. I know I put it off for quite awhile b-but I trust you… And I love you." His voice was breathy and slightly raspy and dear god it was the hottest thing the Strider had ever heard. The thought of what was to come next excited him that much more.

Sitting the bottle back down on the bed, Dirk made quick work of his own pants and underwear, nibbling at his lip as he prepared for what was next. Before he did anything new, he always checked with Jake to make sure he was okay, to make sure he wasn't in too much pain. He was gentle and only did what Jake allowed. Never had a moment felt so intimate and personal to either of them. There was nothing but unconditional love between them and neither could ask for a more perfect moment.


End file.
